Instant Pot Lemon Pudding Cups {for school lunches, picnics, & more!}

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Isn't there something magical about pudding cups?

You open the lid to find a perfect, personal-size container of sweet and creamy deliciousness.

Even as an adult, I have a weakness for pudding cups! And my kids love them too… especially when I tuck one into their school lunches.

Since I'm a momma who knows the importance of packing a lot of nutrition into small servings, these mini Instant Pot lemon pudding cups allow me to do just that. Plus, they only take about 10 minutes to whip up (plus a bit of cooling time).

In 1 serving, my kids are getting healthy fats, lauric acid, pastured eggs, digestion-friendly lemon, and a teensy bit of natural sweetener. But to them? It's just a special dessert.

Instant Pot Lemon Pudding Cups

It never occurred to me to employ my Instant Pot for pudding since I usually make these raw No-Jello Chocolate Pudding Cups (which aren't actually pudding at all but a sneaky way to get picky eaters to devour avocado!). Sometimes we tire of the same chocolate pudding over and over, so once again, it's the Instant Pot to the rescue!

These Instant Pot lemon pudding cups cook right in their serving jars — no need to transfer or dirty more dishes. Once they're set, simply put them into a lunchbox, pack them in a picnic basket, or toss one into your purse for a quick snack on the go!

Recipe Notes

Recipe Notes

I used my 8-quart Instant Pot in this recipe, and the 7 (narrow 1/2 pint) glass jars fit perfectly in a single layer on the trivet. If you have a smaller pressure cooker, cook the jars in batches.

Cooking these with the lids secured serves 2 purposes. First, if you need to stack the jars for any reason, you can stack them on top of one another. Second, the lids keep water out of the pudding cups.

Pressure cooking the pudding cups with their lids on will cause them to seal, like canning. Do not store these on a shelf, however. They are not safely canned!

Because the lids seal, you may want to loosen them before packing into a small child's lunch.

If you notice separation during cooling, that's okay. Simply give the jars a shake or two while they're cooling in the fridge.

Have you made pudding in your Instant Pot yet? Will you try these the next time you're packing lunches or planning a picnic?

About Lindsey Dietz

Native Texans, Lindsey and her family now live in the northern Minnesota wilderness on their dream property, where they are attempting to raise chickens and a few of their own veggies. In her free time, she enjoys food photography, flipping through cookbooks, and tackling home improvement projects. She also serves on the board of her local food co-op. Lindsey has dedicated much of her time over the past several years to unlearning conventional practices and implementing Traditional foods and natural remedies in her home. This has radically changed her and her family's health. Lindsey now loves to share her knowledge and recipes through her blog All The Nourishing Things and her eBooks: Nourishing No-Bake Treats and Sweet Without Sugar.

This pudding was amazing! My husband & teenage boys loved it too. We had it with toasted coconut (I found organic unsweetend coconut at Trader Joe’s for $1.99) with a dash of salt mixed into the coconut. Next we will try the chia seeds with coconut.

Hi Kim, I used the trivet that came with my Instant Pot. I think a plate would block the water too much and prevent it from pressurizing completely. The purpose of the trivet is to give the jars a surface to rest on with water underneath — without submersing the jars in the water. At least a cup of water is required for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, so you can’t make this recipe without it. Hope that helps!

Hi Lindsey!
Hello my Minnesota neighbor! I don’t have enough jars right now but I want to make this for dessert tonight. Can I skip the jars and put it in my 4 cup pyrex bowl with the parchment/foil cover to keep the moisture off–or does it NEED to be cooked in the sealed jars.
Thanks so much! I have gotten the BEST ideas from GNOWFGLINS!
Amanda

I have made this three times now, my daughter loves it so much. She is in kindergarten, so I make some of it up in 4 oz jars, too. My only problem is that I am breaking the jars during the cooking. First run went great, no breakage. Second run I broke one 8-oz jar. Third run I broke one 8-oz jar AND a 4-oz jar. I’m trying to be aware of headspace. Do I need to try leaving even more? Is something else going wrong? I love this recipe, but don’t want to break a jar every time. Thanks.

Judy, I’m so sorry to hear about your jars breaking! How sad! I spoke with Wardee about this, and neither of us have experienced what you describe. We’ve never had a jar break in our IPs! So, what we’d recommend is that you check your jars and make sure they’re heat-proof and suitable for use for canning/pressure canning. Second, if they are heat-proof and breaking, we recommend that you contact the manufacturer to report the issue. Hope that helps!

I’ve had jars break (with a different recipe) if the water level is too high and ends up touching the bottom of the jars, so make sure to use exactly 1 cup of water and that the jars are above the water line when sitting on the trivet.

Hi, Paola! I put the pudding recipe into 6 half-pint jelly jars, put canning lids on, then put water and a hand towel in the bottom of my oval-shaped crock pot, then I put all 6 jars into the crock pot, put the lid on the pot, and turned it on high. It was supposed to cook for 2 hours. Unfortunately, I went into my office and forgot about it. By the time I remembered, the pudding had cooked for several hours, and was pretty much ruined, but it was too expensive to throw away, so I refrigerated them. The next day I sampled one. Oh, dear! It was okay, but not a favorite, so I added about a half tablespoon of raw cacao powder and about the same amount of raw honey to the jar, stirred, and WOW, it was great!!! What a yummy desert, even WAY over cooked! Can’t wait to try it again with a good batch. Will set a timer next time! 😉

Another thing to consider: is the milk or milk substitute room temperature? The recipe calls for it to be. That one detail might make a difference in the separation of the mixture. I used cold almond milk straight out of the fridge. Oops! Didn’t notice that part of the recipe! Will correct it next time.
I just bought a micro-grater for zesting. Can’t wait to try it on the next batch! 😀

Phyllis, pour the pudding mixture into 5 or 6 1/2 pint jelly jars, put the lids on tight, and put water into your crock pot along with a hand towel. Make sure your towel is soaked, and there is water to spare. Then put as many jars (an oval-shaped crock pot will take them all) into the pot, put your crock pot lid on, and cook on high for 2 hours. Don’t forget about them, like I did, or they will curdle! Since the liquid separates from the more solid components, it is a good idea to shake them a couple of times throughout the cooking process. Be careful not to burn yourself! Use a hot pad or dry towel. Hope this helps! (I also added 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. of raw cacao powder and about 1/2 Tbsp. of raw honey to each jar after they cooled, and stirred them. Yum! It adds a chocolaty taste!

Michelle, I added about a teaspoon (or less) of raw honey to each half pint jar, after they had cooled down, in order to preserve the benefits and nutrition of the honey. I didn’t measure, as I was using a regular eating teaspoon. You could do one jar with a few (4 or 5) drops of liquid stevia, stir, and take a nibble. If it isn’t sweet enough, especially if you add unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder, then try 4 or 5 more drops or until you get the mix that works for you. Everyone’s sweet tooth is different. I haven’t had refined sugar in almost 5 years. Loving it!!! And don’t miss it. There are so many wonderful alternatives available, and my taste buds have modified from craving rich deserts to absolutely love fresh and dried fruit of all kinds, honey, pure maple syrup, etc. etc. When I’m hungry for chocolate I stir 2 heaping Tbsp. of cacao powder with 1 heaping Tbsp. of raw honey (I LOVE the honey from YS Eco Bee Farms). I add about 1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp. of almond milk or unsweetened pineapple juice – yummy! – to make it easy to blend, stir, and enjoy right out of the bowl, or as a fruit dip, or topping for frozen banana ice cream. Double yum!! You can also add a bit of sea salt and/or a bit of vanilla extract to the chocolate.

Renee, I can’t say for certain, as I’m not the author of the recipe, but my guess is that lids keep out any water or steam that might ruin the recipe. It doesn’t can the desert to the place where it can be kept on a shelf, though the lids do seal, so it must be the water factor, coupled with the high pressure of the IP.

Hi. Love you Lemon Pudding Cup Instant Pot Recipe. Thank you. After the pudding is chilled, I took it a step further. I empty it into a blending container and add a generous splash of thick Kefir and additional lemon or sometimes lime juice. I use your DietzSweets Blend, so I add that now to taste, so that it doesn’t get cooked in the Instant Pot. Then I hit it all with a stick blender until combined and creamy. Then put back in the cups and in the refrigerator. It comes out more creamy smooth, and a tiny bit chiffon-like too. I get some real fresh citrus taste and some probiotics as well. Maybe you’d like to try this. It gels up a little to creamy the second time in the refrigerator too. Love your site and recipes.

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